Lock knife for knowles heads



June 19, 1928. 1,674,001

. w. M. WATTIE LOCK KNIFE FOR KNOWLES HEADS Filed May 25, 1927 mull .ZVl/F/VTd/P WALL/HM M MeTr/f Patented June 19, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. WATTIE, OF WORCESTER. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

' noon KNIFE non KNOWLES HEADS.

Application filed May 25,

This invention relates to improvements in look knives for pattern mechanisms of the kind set forth in Patent No. 134,992 and commonly known as the Knowles head.

6 In motions of this type there are employed a pair of oppositely rotating mutilated cylinder gears between which are mounted a plurality of vibrator levers each having a vibrator gear. By means of pattern mechanism the levers are raised and lowered so that the vibrator gears will be in mesh with one or the other of said mutilated cylinder gears. A connector extends from each vibrator gear to a harness jack l5 and as the vibrator gears rotate the harness frames are either raised or lowered. t is necessary during the movement of the vibrator gears to hold the same in proper mesh with their actuating cylinders and this result has heretofore been accomplished by the use of a so-called lock knife which engages the inner end of the vibrator levers during the time that the harness frames are moving. 1

2i Heretofore this look knife has been held on the upper end of a pivoted frame with its axis belou the ends of the vibrator levers and a small cam rotating with one of the cylinders has effected back and forth motion of the knife by means of a small cam lever secured to the rocking frame.

I find that the lock knife is likely to be moved out of locking position by camming action at the point where the vibrator levers 5 have contact with the lockknife due to the fact that said lock knife moves about a pivot. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a guide for the lock knife which will require the latter to have a straight line motion as distinguished from the previous pivotal motion, the effect of this construction being to overcome any ten.- dency on the part of the lock knives to swing the lock knife around a center. i

The several vibrator levers have their inner ends spaced by a comb audit is a more particular object of my invention to provide said comb with, extensions having guides or trackways along which the lock 5 knife is guided, motion being communicated to the lock knife by theusual cam and cam lever.

With these and other objects inview 1927- Serial No. 194,174.

In the accompanying drawings wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a Knowles head having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1,.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line -1-4 of Fig. 3 showing a portion of the lock knife device, and,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view showing the spring for the lock knife.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 it will be seen that I have provided. upper and lower mutilated constantly rotating cylinder gears 10 and 11, respectively, which may be driven by any appropriate means such as that set forth in the aforesaid. Knowles Pat- ,ent No. 134,992. Said cylinders rotate in a head frame12 which is secured to the arches 13 supported by the loom frame Y1 1 and said .head frame is provided with lateral extenin Fig. 5; Said vibrator levers extend in wardly toward the center of the loom and each has pivotally mounted thereon a vibrator gear 19. A harness connector 20 1s attached to each vibrator gear and has operative connection with a harness jack 21.

A pin 22on the head frame affords pivotal support for the harness jacks and the latter are rocked about said pin either to raise or lower the harness frames. By means of a pattern chain not shown herein but ,moving about an axis indicated at 23 said vibrator levers maybe raisedor lowered to produce any desired sequence of movements on the part of the harness frames or boxes.

The lower cylinder has secured thereto a cam 24 which cooperates with the cam lever 25 secured to a shaft 26. A pair of upstanding arms 27 are secured to said shaft 26 and afford means for .moving the lock knife to be described hereinafter. The head frame is provided with a cross girt 28 and there is secured to said girt an upstanding; comb 29 having teeth which space the inner ends of the vibrator lever 17 as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. The matter thus far described with the exception of the particular form of arms 121' may be of common construction and for a more complete description of the same reference may be had to the aforesaid Knowles patent.

In carrying m v invention into effect I provide a lock kni't'e actuated by the arms 27 but not: connected directly thereto and have further supplied guides to determine the line of i'm'ivcment ol the lock knife. Accordingly, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. I provide each end of the comb frame 29 with an extension 40 which is provided with a horizontal bearing surface 41, and a shoulder 42 extending vertically therefrom. A c: p -13 secured to each extension 10 and is held in place by a bolt it and a toe -15. Said cap extends licvond the shoulder t2 and has the under surface thereof parallel with the bearing it to define a guide or trackwav with the latter.

The lock knife which if de=ired may be formed as used heretofore is fastened to a bar 51 having two pairs of spaced ears indicated at 52. Each pair of cars has pivotally connected thereto a link 53 the inner end of which is connected to the upper end of the corresponding arm 27. Said links and arms lie between the guidewavs for the lock knife and the latter'projects beyond the ends of the bar 51 and into the guides or trackways. Said guide preferablx extend in a horizontal direction although it may not be necessary in all adaptations of the invention. to have. the same extend in a truly horizontal plane.

As shown more. clearly in 5 a resilient means is provided for holding the lock knife in holding position with respect to the vibrator levers, said resilient device including a bolt secured to the comb 18 and having connected thereto a spring 61 the inner end of which is attached to an extension from one of the levers or arms 27. In this way the spring serves to hold the cam lever 25 against the cam 2% and also holds the lock knife 50 in holding position with respectto the vibrator levers. i

In operation the cylinders rotate constantly with the result; that said upstanding arms 27 reciprocate back and forth and hv means of the links 53 provide reciprocating motion to the bar 51. This motion in turn is communicated to the lock knife and the latter is guided between the trackways so as to have holding engagement with the ends of the vibrator levers.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means for guiding the lock knife so that the same will have substantially a straight line motion and will not tend to move about a pivot when train in avertical direction is exerted on said knife by the vibrator levers. It will further be seen that the comb which separates the inner ends of the vibrator levers is provided with guides or trackways which determine the direction of motion of the lock knife and that the means for imparting moti n to the lock knife include the usual cam and cam lever.

Having thus described my invention it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein by tho e skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a pattern mechanism including a constantly rotating cam to give a rain lever periodic oscillations, and having a pair of oppositely rotating mutilated cylinder gears between which he a piuralitv oi' vibrator levers and vibrator gears for actmitin; bar ncss jacks. a lock knil'c common to all the vibrator levers to have lot-king encagenuait therewith to restrain improper vertical motion of said vibrator levers, means providing substantially horizontal guides in which said lock knife moves. and connwrtions between the cam lever and said lock knife to reciprocate same as the cam rot ates.

2. In a pattern mechanism inchuling a constantly rotating cam to give a cam lover periodic oscillations. and having a pair of oppositely rotating mutilated cvlindtn' gears between which lie a plurality of vibrator levers and vih 'ator gears fo' actuating harness jacks, means defining sl'iaced fixed guides extending in a direction substantially parallel to the viln'ator levers. a lock knife common to all the vibrator levers and having the ends thereof extending into the guides, and connections between the cam lever and said lock nife to move the latter toward and from the vibrator levers as said cam rotates.

3. In a pattern mechanism including a constantly rotating cam to give a cam lever periodic oscillations. and having a pair of oppositely rotating mutilated cylinder gears between which lie a plurality of vibrator levers and vibrator gears for actuating harness jacks, means defining fixed spaced substantially horizontal guides. a lock knife common to all the vibrator levers and hav ing the ends thereof received by the guides, a supporting bar to which the knife is attached. and means interposed between the bar and the cam lever to move said lock knife toward and from the vibrator levers as the cam rotates.

4. In a pattern mechanism including a constantly rotating cam to give a cam lever periodic oscillations, and having a pair of oppositely rotating mutilated cylinder gears between which lie a plurality of vibrator levers and vibrator gears for actuating harness jacks, a lock knife common to all the vibrator levers, fixed spaced guides to receive the ends of the lock knife and guide the same so that said lock knife will have a right line motion toward and from the vibrator levers, a bar to which the lock knife is secured, links pivotally connected to the bar, and levers connected to the links and moved with said cam lever to reciprocate the lock knife in the guides as the cam gives periodic oscillations to the cam lever.

5. In a pattern mechanism including a constantly rotating cam to give a cam lever periodic oscillations, and having a pair of oppositely rotating mutilated cylinder gears between which lie a plurality of vibrator levers and vibrator gears for actuating harness jacks, a comb to space the ends of the vibrator levers, means rigid with the comb defining fixed spaced guides extending in a direction toward and from the ends of the vibrator levers, a lock knife moving in said guides, and connections between the cam and the lock knife to move the latter toward and from the ends of the vibrator levers as the cam rotates.

6. In a pattern mechanism including a constantly rotating cam to give a cam lever periodic oscillations, and having a pair of oppositely rotating mutilated cylinder gears between which lie a plurality of vibrator levers and vibrator gears fo actuating harness jacks, a comb to space the inner ends of the vibrator levers, means defining a pair of spaced lower bearings rigid with the comb, a pair of caps fixed with respect to the comb and coope 'ating with said bearing surfaces to define a pair of spaced fixed guideways, a lock knife common to all the vibrator levers and having the ends thereof guided between the bearing surfaces and thecaps, and means to reciprocate said knife in the guides toward and from the vibrator levers as the cam oscillates the cam lever.

7. A comb for separating the ends of a plurality of vibrator levers forming part of a pattern mechanism including actuator cylinders and vibrator gears mounted on the vibrator levers, said comb being formed WILLIAM M. WATTIE. 

